Falling down the rabbit hole

   In Annie Spence's book "Dear Fahrenheit 451", she talks about... 

falling down the rabbit hole: books that lead to more books.

"Sometimes, a book can take you on a journey far beyond the story itself.  Sometimes, one thing leads to another....."
   Has that ever happened to you, dear reader of my blog?

   I started preparing to lead a discussion of "The Man Who Quit Money".  After the massive consumerism of Christmas, I was attracted by 'a simpler life' and discovered that the author had written another book following that theme, so I read "The Unsettlers".  Now I was really into 'radical simplicity', learning about living 'off the grid'.  Not that I am willing to give up indoor plumbing and a warm bed, but then I found "Off the Grid Homes" where they have comfort, but use the environment to advantage rather than depleting the resources.

  Issues such as global warming, ozone depletion, and acid rain are discussed with possible solutions.  In this book, "Off The Grid Homes", there are beautiful photos of six homes using alternative technology for generating and conserving energy.  Being 'off the grid' can still be comfortable, but, wow, it is complicated.  This book talks about 'sustainable living'- more to my liking, but not my understanding.  I believe my friend Gayle and her husband have used some of this technology in building their spectacularly comfortable home.  I do like comfort, but I would like a closer relationship to nature. Because I love the sky, I have fantasized about a house with a clear dome so that I could always see the whole sky.
   However, Daniel Suelo, "The Man Who Quit Money" would obviously never live in any of these fabulous homes.  He wanted to be free to live where and how he wished to live.  Is that possible in this day?  His book is called "A Walden for the 21st century".
  So, I plan to write a series of blogs on living a simpler life.  And we will start with Thoreau.